


Put Back Together

by ooo



Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017), Call Me by Your Name - André Aciman
Genre: F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Hurt Elio Perlman, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Canon, summer of 85
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-23 03:15:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20885216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ooo/pseuds/ooo
Summary: “Do you remember that Bach piece you played the last time I was staying here?”, Oliver goes on, “Would you play it again?”Still no reaction from Elio. But as Oliver decided to walk over to him, the notes began to change into the short sequence that burned itself into his mind and he settled down one of the armchairs behind the piano. He let the familiar tones sink in and, with a smile around his face, thought back to the banter they had caused.“What no changes this time?” Oliver asked amused, as the notes slowly faded away.“I thought they drove you mad”, he said in a flat tone. “Anyways, I am neither Liszt, nor Busoni.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone!  
I´m a new mother to this baby fanfic that wants to be loved and cherished.  
Jokes aside, this is my first fanfic and while I have an general outline for it I am open to some ideas along the way.  
That being said, I hereby want to warn who´s expecting frequent updates that that will not be the case.  
The first few chapters may be a little short, also I´m sure this thing will be loaded with typos and grammatically incorrect sentences, so please point them out for me.  
Hope you enjoy!  
-ooo

As Oliver entered the Perlman`s living room through the garden, the chit chat and laughter behind him slowly drowned in the soft sound of the piano. Mr. and Mrs. P had gathered what seemed half the population of Crema in their backyard to welcome him. And as excited as he had been to see them all again, Vimini`s interrogation in combination with Annella`s attention seeking sister, had quickly worn him down. And besides he had not even been able to catch a glimpse of Elio all day. He hoped that today he could coax the boy out for at least a few minutes of fresh air.

“Elio? Hey … don’t you want to come outside and sit with us?”

He stood in the doorway and watched Elio continue to play. Looking around, waiting for an answer, Oliver noticed the pale green armchairs and the seemingly ancient oriental rugs on the floor on which Elio, his friends and he used to lounge for hours. The books and magazines in the villa, too, were scattered in the same mindless way that he remembered, and which gave the grand house an air of coziness that his own home never possessed. In fact, both his mother and Karen would be appalled of the way nothing here seemed to match or belong to a fixed place. It seemed as if time didn’t have any effects on the villa and yet Oliver felt overwhelmed by the events that occurred these past two years. A shiver went through him as he thought back to late fall.

Elio kept playing and didn’t show any indication, other than the stiff way he sat on the little piano bench, that he heard Oliver`s tentative question.

“Do you remember that Bach piece you played the last time I was staying here?”, Oliver goes on, “Would you play it again?”

Still no reaction from Elio. But as Oliver decided to walk over to him, the notes began to change into the short sequence that burned itself into his mind and he settled down one of the armchairs behind the piano. He let the familiar tones sink in and, with a smile around his face, thought back to the banter they had caused.

“What no changes this time?” Oliver asked amused, as the notes slowly faded away.

“I thought they drove you mad”, he said in a flat tone. “Anyways, I am neither Liszt, nor Busoni.”

“You´re sure you don’t want to join everybody outside?”

“It just makes things awkward.”

“Aren’t you glad that I am here? Not even the tiniest bit?”, Oliver asked deflated and with a slight frown.

“Is that why my parents invited you here?”, Elio said as gently turned around, he sounded tired.

Oliver let out a soft sigh, aware of the tension that came with Elio`s words.

“I´m sure they hoped that my visit would lift your spirits a bit. So yes. Look Elio, I …”

He was cut off by Elio: “Honestly? I thought I would feel more excited. But “, he gave a slight shrug, “it´s just not the same anymore.”

“No, I guess not.”

Oliver didn´t know what else to say, didn´t even know what he was doing here in Italy to be honest. Mr. and Mrs. Perlman certainly seemed to think that he could bring Elio out from whatever dark mindset he was in right now, but he wasn´t so sure. The day he had arrived Elio had downright ignored him. In fact, he just decided to acknowledge him the other day, so this conversation right here was the longest they had so far. And all in all, things were between them were very strained.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That 2nd chapter was writing itself faster than I thought.

“I´m afraid we will have to do without Samuel this morning, he was called to the University on short notice.” Mrs. P said coming to the table with a small tray. “Here, you still like apricot juice, right?” she said, handing him a glass that was brimming with the thick brownish-orange liquid.

“God, you don´t know how much I missed this!” Oliver could not refrain from laughing out loud. “I looked for something similar in the States, but it doesn´t taste nearly as good as yours.”

“Mafalda will be glad to hear that. I asked her to join us, but she and Manfredi want to have a picknick. I believe she is still annoyed because of the mass of people I invited over yesterday, you know how she can get.” Annella settled down in the chair opposite of Oliver.

“It was a great surprise, thank you.”

“Don´t be shy and help yourself!”

“Don´t we wait for Elio to come down?” Oliver asked puzzled.

“I woke him up half an hour ago. If he isn´t down by now,” she told him in a small voice, looking down on her plate,” then he probably doesn´t want to eat.” An awkward silence fell over them.

She took her knife and began spreading a thin layer of butter onto a piece of sliced bread. Suddenly, she let the knife fall, it´s the shrill rattle startling Oliver, who in the next moment, was shocked to hear Annella whimper softly. She covered her face with her palms as the first tears escaped and tried to smother her arising sobs.

“Mrs. P?” he asked hesitantly. “Annella, please don´t cry.” He looked around the set table, reached for napkin and held it out for her. Annella gratefully accepted it and began drying her eyes.

“I know I shouldn´t cry. It could have been much worse.” She continued to sob quietly. “Oh Oliver, I just don´t know what to do. You´ve seen how he is.”

Oliver made no comment. Once again, he was at a loss for words. The six weeks he spent in Crema … enjoying the Italian countryside, gaining – maybe for the first time ever – recognition form somebody he looked up to, getting to know and love Elio, feeling as a part of this incredible family … it had been beyond comparison. Those six weeks had been the happiest time of his life. Nothing had been able to taint those memories, but watching Annella cry in this moment made him realize how romantic his image of the Perlmans life had been and how different everything became in the past six months. Crema had changed. The easy and carefree atmosphere was replaced by an oppressing sense of sorrow.

“It´s like my boy little has been replaced by a random stranger.” Annella draw a shuddering breath. “You know the first months have been difficult for everybody, but he has complete sealed himself off from us. He won´t accept any help, stopped seeing his psychologist. She balled the napkin up and throw on the table with a frustrated sigh. “He spends his whole days just holed up in that God damn … Merde! I´m sorry” Rummaging on the table, she grabbed her pack of cigarettes and lit one. “The thing is Oliver, I hoped you could maybe talk to him, get him at least to see his psychologist again,” she pleaded cigarette in her mouth.

Her husband hadn´t liked the idea of involving the young man in this situation. Opted to let their son live out his exasperation, but rather than letting it out, Elio was bottling everything up. Annella had never fully agreed with Samuels laisse-faire methods and had finally drawn a line.

“I don´t know if I can do that. He doesn´t talk to me either and I … I understand why.” He slowly lifted his gaze, which had fallen onto his plate, to look into Annella´s swollen and began to stutter: “I… I don´t know if he told you, but Elio and … and I … we didn´t really part on good terms the last time I was here. And that summer, we … we were…”

“I know, Tesoro,” she said with a sad smile. She took a long drag and put out her cigarette, only to light the next one. “I´ve known it even then, he didn´t have to tell me anything. It´s why I asked you to come.”

A wave of utter relief washed over Oliver. He revealed his greatest secret, admitted to have had an intimate relationship with her son and she didn´t even bat an eyelash.

“I know you loved each other.”

“I shouldn´t have left the way I did, should have told him about Karen in the first place,” he said deflated, after all the pent-up nervousness had left him.

They sat silently there and nibbling on bread when they heard Mafalda`s frustrated yell. Shortly after Elio`s cautious footsteps could be heard on the steps. When he finally emerged on the swell of the door sill, he paused to rest against the frame.

“I swear this woman has no mercy, not even for a cripple.” Then seeing his mother´s red eyes: “Oh, were you talking about me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next on we will find out what exactly happened to our beloved Elio.

**Author's Note:**

> Baby fanfic loves getting attention in form of constructive critism, comments and of corse kudos !


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